Cook
by abetternameneeded
Summary: The day after Wish!Hook is thrown from the tower, Alice has to cook for hereself.


Alice Jones stared out of her window. The still new silence echoing through the closest thing to a home she'd ever known and ripping open a wound that hadn't yet healed. _Papa_. He was gone. He wouldn't be back any time soon. It would only hurt him to return. Every time she drew near he would grow weaker and weaker until he faded away into death. She could kill the only person she'd ever known. And she couldn't do that to him. Couldn't do that to_ herself._ He couldn't come back. She was alone. And it was so quiet. The sound of two pairs of footsteps were replaced by the sound of just one. The sound of their conversations replaced by her choking words out towards her toys through her tears. The sounds of them playing replaced by the world outside her window taunting her that she was still bloody trapped. He hadn't even been gone that long and already she already missed him terribly. He'd know how to make her feel better. _"I have a feeling I have something that might make you smile."_ he'd tell her and he _would_. He'd show her something that would make her frown turn into a smile, he'd make the tears fade into laughter. She held the white knight close to her heart. She missed him. This was his. He had her rook. _"The pieces will be together again."_ Gods she hoped so. But they couldn't be together. Not now.

She had screamed herself hoarse when she was begging to know what was happening. And she knew now. His heart had been poisoned. Poisoned by a witch neither had done anything to. This wasn't fair either. None of it had ever been fair She wasn't angry, she just missed papa so much. They couldn't be together any more.

She'd have to do everything he had done. More tears fell. She had already been captive inside these four stone walls. She'd explored every last stone and crack in the walls. She had ran around every last piece of the tower. Her entire world had been so small there was nothing left to find. Nothing left to do. Papa could always distract her. They'd talk and he'd make her smile and laugh and she'd forget about her tears, forget that she was trapped if only for a while. And now he was gone, all she could do was think about the fact she was alone. She'd have to eat at some point. None of it would be the same. Her tea parties would be down a guest. They'd be missing the only other voice that wasn't pretend. Alice had lost a part of her world, no she'd lost a part of _her._ At least she'd always helped when papa had cooked. She knew how. Not as well as he did, she'd admit. But she knew how.

She'd have to make this meal. It hurt. It was the first thing she was doing since he'd left. She'd sat and waited since he'd left, hoping it was just another bad dream. It hadn't been a bad dream. It was real. Just as real as her prison. She didn't want it to be real. She missed him.

She got the pan out and went to make something she had seen papa make before. She stared at the stove. She wasn't supposed to touch the matches it'd take to light it. But papa was gone. And she _had _to. She knew papa kept them on top of one of the shelves. He could reach it. She couldn't.

"Papa," She trailed off. He wasn't here now. He couldn't hand them to her. She ignored the tears as they streamed slowly down her face. No. She could do this. She believed in herself. Papa always made sure she did. She climbed on top of the counter, standing up. She reached over and grabbed the matchbook. She needed to get back down. She lost her footing and landed on the stone floor.

She was fine, she wasn't hurt. She waited for a moment. Why didn't papa ask if she was okay? He always asked if she was okay! Right he was gone. She'd just have to ask herself.

"Are you okay, Alice?" she tried to sound more like papa. She found a comfort in her attempt at staying closer to his voice. She found a comfort in the sound. She'd keep talking. She'd fill the emptiness of the tower with the sound of her own voice. When it echoed back to her it almost felt like she wasn't alone. Almost. It felt better now that she'd filled the silence as best as she could. "I'm fine. Okay, now I need to make something to eat."

Alice held the spoon up to her lips, tasting it to see if it needed more seasoning.

"Here," Alice trailed off. She was going to offer papa a bite to see what he thought. The same he'd always done for her. "Never mind. How about you Mr. Rabbit?" she offered. She knew he was just a toy but she wanted to talk to _someone_.

Alice finished making the food and then set the table. Where there should be two place settings there was now just one. She tried to talk to her toys, tried to laugh. Her face fell she was alone now. And she was trapped and she couldn't do anything about it. She could handle this. Being trapped wasn't new to her. Maybe papa would find a cure. She wanted to help but what could she do from here? Nothing. She found ways to fill her days, talking to herself and her toys and the stars and the trees, the hope that one day she'd see papa again keeping her from thinking she'd always be trapped. He'd find a way. He'd find a cure and then he'd free her. And she had been right, but it'd been her that saved herself.


End file.
